Iran sets tough conditions for US talks amid mounting fears over oil, shipping disruption

“Iran hardened its negotiating position with the United States on Wednesday, demanding five conditions it described as the “minimum guarantees for trust” before entering any new round of talks, as global concerns mounted over the war’s impact on oil supplies and maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Fars News Agency, citing an informed source, reported that Tehran had rejected a 14-point US proposal, describing it as an attempt to “impose surrender” while continuing a policy of coercion and threats. According to the report, Iran would not participate in a second round of negotiations unless Washington fulfilled five key confidence-building conditions, although the details of those demands were not disclosed. In further signs of Tehran’s increasingly hardline stance, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said “the enemies’ dreams of our people’s surrender and submission will never come true.” Meanwhile, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of parliament’s national security committee, said Iran would “never give up the strategic gain of the Strait of Hormuz” and would not engage in any discussions on halting uranium enrichment. Boroujerdi described the current ceasefire as “fragile and unreliable,” warning that clashes could resume at any moment and stressing that Tehran would not yield to US demands. As fears of a collapse in the truce intensified, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said the world was consuming oil reserves at a record pace due to the war’s impact, forecasting a decline of around 3.9 million barrels per day in global oil supplies during 2026 because of disruptions linked to Iran. In its monthly report, the agency said the region had already lost more than one billion barrels of oil supplies since the conflict began. It warned that a closure of the Strait of Hormuz could remove up to 12.8 million barrels per day from global markets, potentially triggering one of the largest energy shocks in decades. Against this backdrop, several countries announced plans to contribute to maritime security arrangements in the Gulf. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said Canberra would join a “purely defensive” mission led by Britain and France to secure navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, deploying a Boeing E-7 Wedgetail surveillance aircraft. South Korea also said it was considering “gradual” support measures that could include intelligence sharing, personnel and military resources, while stressing that such involvement would not amount to direct military participation. Italy, meanwhile, said it could deploy two warships near the Gulf, but only after a “real, credible and stable” ceasefire had been established. India announced the launch of a $1.5bn maritime insurance guarantee fund aimed at shielding its shipping sector from war- and sanctions-related risks, underscoring growing global concern over trade security and shipping routes. Diplomatically, Pakistan continued to play a central mediating role between Washington and Tehran, with growing backing from China. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi praised Islamabad’s efforts to facilitate US-Iran talks and expressed hope for a “proper solution” to the Strait of Hormuz crisis. In the Gulf, tensions escalated further after the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait condemned what they described as an infiltration attempt by members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Kuwait’s Bubiyan Island, which reportedly wounded a Kuwaiti serviceman. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, visited the UAE at least twice during the war to coordinate matters related to the campaign against Iran. The post Iran sets tough conditions for US talks amid mounting fears over oil, shipping disruption first appeared on Dailynewsegypt .

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